Vaccinated? CDC, Pa. Health says it’s OK to take off mask in most situations

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa Vector color chalk drawn illustration of medical mask on black chalkboard background. With COVID-19 cases dropping nationally, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced Thursday afternoon that those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks, indoors or outdoors, or observe social distancing, although masks will be required on public...

Pa., Chesco pause use of J&J COVID vaccine

Following a recommendation from the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), both the state of Pennsylvania and Chester County announced Tuesday that their respective health departments would pause vaccinations using the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, pending a study of a rare but dangerous blood clotting issue that may be related to...

Taming the robber barons of the Internet: Facebook and Google

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa Let’s take a week off from politics and talk about….The Internet! (foreboding music plays). Well, actually not the whole Internet (do not ask me about being a cat on Zoom, I have no clue — I consider Zoom to be an insecure platform and only use it very reluctantly to watch county commission meetings), just Facebook and Google, who are the two...

County officials hit state DOH over vaccine distribution

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa Graphic courtesy Chester County Chester County officials addressed public frustration with the COVID-19 vaccine roll out, issuing a statement Friday afternoon, expressing frustration with the state Department of Health’s (DOH) inability to meet the county’s needs. The statement makes clear that Chester County officials feel the county is not getting...

COVID-19 positive tests grow statewide and in county

By Mike McGann, Editor, The TImes Testing being done at the state lab in Exton. Courtesy, Pa. Dept. of Health. COVID-19 cases continue to grow in Pennsylvania, with cases statewide spiking to 851 in 40 counties with seven deaths, according to the state Department of Health. In Chester County, numbers jumped again, rising to 41 from 30 yesterday, with 624 tests coming back negative. No one in Chester...

Federal test: County well-prepared for disaster

For third consecutive year, it earned perfect score on readiness assessment By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times For the third year in a row, Chester County received a perfect score in emergency readiness from federal evaluators. For the third consecutive year, Chester County has received a perfect score of 100 on the 2013 Federal Technical Assistance Review (TAR), an annual assessment...

County’s Health Department issues ‘raw milk’ warning

News release: Kimberton Whole Foods products linked to stomach problems The Chester County Health Department has issued a warning about raw milk products from Kimberton Whole Foods. An alert is being issued by the Chester County Health Department, which said an  an increase of severe gastroenteric symptoms among persons who drank raw milk supplied by Kimberton Farms Dairy. The distributor,...

County offering residents shot at avoiding flu

Free clinic to be held during National Influenza Vaccination Week Free flu vaccines will be offered Dec. 3 at the Chester County Library during National Influenza Vaccination Week. Chester County plans to observe National Influenza Vaccination Week – Dec. 2 through Dec. 8 – appropriately: It’s offering a free flu vaccine clinic. In an effort to highlight the importance of obtaining the...